Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Armstrong, speaks on the House floor in 2017. (Pa. House photo)
A nine-term Republican lawmaker from western Pennsylvania has announced he is retiring, effective Tuesday due to health issues.
State Rep. Jeff Pyle, a former social studies teacher and mayor of Ford City, was first elected to the 60th Legislative District, which includes parts of Armstrong, Indiana and Butler counties, in 2004.
“I will miss advocating for my constituents and working to improve the lives of those living and working in our area,” Pyle said in a statement. “As a young boy growing up in Armstrong County, I would never have dreamed that I would be elected to represent my community in Harrisburg. What an honor it has been.”
Pyle, who had already survived kidney cancer in his first term, was re-diagnosed with cancer in 2017, and suffered a stroke last year.
Pyle, whose rural district bordered three of Pennsylvania’s last coal power plants, was a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and fossil fuels. He also was an ally of Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, playing a ceremonial role in both his nominations for the position.
“Even in recent years, when Rep. Pyle faced his own challenges, he never wavered in his relentless efforts to improve the lives of those he represents, and he set an example for each of us to try and follow. He was a great member and best friend,” Cutler said in a statement.
Pyle also authored a 2018 law to regulate aerial drones in Pennsylvania, and landed millions in state dollars for a community college branch in Ford City.
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